Re: With the help of friends, it can be done

[ebros]

Celebrate the morning without a hangover.

I am in three sports leagues: Tennis, hockey, and lacrosse. Tennis on
Tues., Hockey on Thurs., and Lax on Sunday. We drink beer like fish after
we play. It is really starting to get me down. Lately, I have had a hard
time not drinking on the off days. Last year I did not even think about
drinking on my off days. Tonight I am going to try to drink my bottle of
water and then two beers. Usually I drink between 4 and 5 after a match.
Then have one when I get home.

At age 42, I stay away from wine. It seems to hurt my vision. In the
morning, following a bottle of wine at night, I have a hard time focusing
between 7 and 8 a.m.

Thanks for your story.
Steve

"catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:bd6j7b$ibv$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I wonder how many of us here have found themselves using drink to
temporarily block out pain caused
> by situations they find themselves in . I know that I have. I want to
tell you that at the present
> time I am managing to survive two such situations without alcohol. I do
so in the hope that my
> story will help others whose lives are not as happy as they would like
them to be.
>
> For some time, my husband and I have had a strained relationship. The
strain is now beginning to
> tell. In addition, I have just heard very bad news about a close friend
who went into hospital
> nearly two weeks ago. She has an inoperable cancer and due to its
advanced state, she may never
> again come home. As a result of all that is going on here, I am feeling
very low. Yesterday
> evening, my pain was so great that I couldn't stop crying. I knew that
drink would ease my
> pain and thought many times about the three-quarters of a bottle of wine
sitting on my kitchen
> counter. I knew that if I drank it all (which I knew I easily could), I
would pass out and be
> freed, temporarily, from pain.. But instead of going to the kitchen, I
opened up this NG and read
> some of your posts. The helpful ones gave me the strength to resist
temptation until 3. 00 am when,
> finally exhausted, I felt ready to go to sleep.
>
> This morning, my situation is still the same but I don't have a hang-over
and that is good news. I
> take this as a sign that in order to be able to control my alcoholism,
(which I want to be able to
> do) I need the fellowship of wise recovering alcoholics.
>
> If my story helps anyone in any way, I shall be delighted. In the
meantime, I want to say thank you
> to all of you who have posted helpful messages for getting me through a
crisis. Thank you.
>
> JB
> who is celebrating nearly two weeks without a drink :^))
>
>
>

[catsruleok]

"ebros" <ericksonbros@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:gB3Ka.11622$e26.8550@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.ne t...
> Celebrate the morning without a hangover.
>
> I am in three sports leagues: Tennis, hockey, and lacrosse. Tennis on
> Tues., Hockey on Thurs., and Lax on Sunday. We drink beer like fish after
> we play. It is really starting to get me down. Lately, I have had a hard
> time not drinking on the off days. Last year I did not even think about
> drinking on my off days. Tonight I am going to try to drink my bottle of
> water and then two beers. Usually I drink between 4 and 5 after a match.
> Then have one when I get home.
>
> At age 42, I stay away from wine. It seems to hurt my vision. In the
> morning, following a bottle of wine at night, I have a hard time focusing
> between 7 and 8 a.m.
>
> Thanks for your story.
> Steve

Hi Steve,

I know what you mean when you say that you could at one time, go a day without a drink and now you
find it hard not to. I experienced the same thing.

When I began drinking, initially in the late 1970's, for many years, I was able to drink moderate
amounts when I drank. (By moderate, I mean, not more than two glasses of wine in a session). Often,
when down the pub or at home, I was happy with just a soft drink. At some point, I crossed the line
at which I could take or leave alcohol and began to drink considerably more than was good for me
every night. It was many years before I admitted that I couldn't leave it alone. I only admitted it
when I felt that my life was no longer worth living. To this day, I don't know what made me seek
help at that point. What I do know, however, is that I was ready to give it up and because I really
wanted to, I succeeded in doing so.. I was on the wagon for about eight years. Then, as you know,
one night, I decided I wanted to drink again. So I did and very soon I was again hooked .. When I
now think about how I used to convince myself that I could control my intake, I realise what a fool
I was. .

If you think the time is now right for you to give up drinking and you really want to do it, I see
no reason why you shouldn't succeed in doing so. I will not offer advice on whether or not it is
better for you to follow the route whereby you slowly reduce your intake or go (is it go ?) cold
turkey. Only you can decide that. For me, going cold turkey was the only way.

If you have decided that it would be best for you to stop drinking, then here you will find
encouragement to do so and maybe even strength to get you through those periods when your resolve
not to drink is weak

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you a long and happy life..

JB.

[catsruleok]

"ebros" <ericksonbros@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:gB3Ka.11622$e26.8550@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.ne t...
> Celebrate the morning without a hangover.
>
> I am in three sports leagues: Tennis, hockey, and lacrosse. Tennis on
> Tues., Hockey on Thurs., and Lax on Sunday. We drink beer like fish after
> we play. It is really starting to get me down. Lately, I have had a hard
> time not drinking on the off days. Last year I did not even think about
> drinking on my off days. Tonight I am going to try to drink my bottle of
> water and then two beers. Usually I drink between 4 and 5 after a match.
> Then have one when I get home.
>
> At age 42, I stay away from wine. It seems to hurt my vision. In the
> morning, following a bottle of wine at night, I have a hard time focusing
> between 7 and 8 a.m.
>
> Thanks for your story.
> Steve

Hi Steve,

I know what you mean when you say that you could at one time, go a day without a drink and now
find it hard not to. I experienced the same thing.

When I began drinking, initially in the late 1970's, for many years, I was able to drink moderate
amounts when I drank. (By moderate, I mean, not more than two glasses of wine in a session). Often,
when down the pub or at home, I was happy with just a soft drink. At some point, I crossed the line
at which I could take or leave alcohol and began to drink considerably more than was good for me
every night. It was many years before I admitted that I couldn't leave it alone. I only admitted it
when I felt that my life was no longer worth living. To this day, I don't know what made me seek
help at that point. What I do know, however, is that I was ready to give it up and because I really
wanted to, I succeeded in doing so.. I was on the wagon for about eight years. Then, as you know,
one night, I decided I wanted to drink again. So I did and very soon I was again hooked .. When I
now think about how I used to convince myself that I could control my intake, I realise what a fool
I was. .

If you think the time is now right for you to give up drinking and you really want to do it, I see
no reason why you shouldn't succeed in doing so. I will not offer advice on whether or not it is
better for you to follow the route whereby you slowly reduce your intake or go (is it go ?) cold
turkey. Only you can decide that. For me, going cold turkey was the only way.

If you have decided that it would be best for you to stop drinking, then here you will find
encouragement to do so and maybe even strength to get you through those periods when your resolve
not to drink is weak

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you a long and happy life..

JB.

[catsruleok]

"catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message news:bdappo$99a$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> "ebros" <ericksonbros@attbi.com> wrote in message
> news:gB3Ka.11622$e26.8550@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.ne t...
> > Celebrate the morning without a hangover.
> >
> > I am in three sports leagues: Tennis, hockey, and lacrosse. Tennis on
> > Tues., Hockey on Thurs., and Lax on Sunday. We drink beer like fish after
> > we play. It is really starting to get me down. Lately, I have had a hard
> > time not drinking on the off days. Last year I did not even think about
> > drinking on my off days. Tonight I am going to try to drink my bottle of
> > water and then two beers. Usually I drink between 4 and 5 after a match.
> > Then have one when I get home.
> >
> > At age 42, I stay away from wine. It seems to hurt my vision. In the
> > morning, following a bottle of wine at night, I have a hard time focusing
> > between 7 and 8 a.m.
> >
> > Thanks for your story.
> > Steve
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> I know what you mean when you say that you could at one time, go a day without a drink and now you
> find it hard not to. I experienced the same thing.

<snip>

JB

You may see two copies of my reply to Steve.. If you do, don't worry. Your vision's not playing
up. I made a mistake. Sorry.

JB

[ebros]

JB,

Thanks for the feedback. It really helped. Last night I had a really tough
tennis match. It went 3 sets with a tie breaker in the third. I had three
match points and count not close the match. I ended up loosing 9-7 in the
tie-breaker. After a 3 hour match, an empty stomach, sore back, hamstrings,
and pride, I wanted to kill the pain. I drank 3 beers with the guys and had
a screw driver when I got home. This morning I feel tired and lazy. I
think my metabolism was so high that I burned all the alcohol before it
could dehydrate my brain darning sleep to give me a headache.

JB...you are an inspiration. President Bush is also an inspiration. Both
of you went cold turkey. As Anthony Robbins says, "The time is now." I am
going for it. It is cool to be sober. Mornings are so great when you wake
up clean. Coffee taste better and the beauty of summer brightens your day.

You are a good person JB and thanks,
Steve

"catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:bdappo$99a$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> "ebros" <ericksonbros@attbi.com> wrote in message
> news:gB3Ka.11622$e26.8550@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.ne t...
> > Celebrate the morning without a hangover.
> >
> > I am in three sports leagues: Tennis, hockey, and lacrosse. Tennis on
> > Tues., Hockey on Thurs., and Lax on Sunday. We drink beer like fish
after
> > we play. It is really starting to get me down. Lately, I have had a
hard
> > time not drinking on the off days. Last year I did not even think about
> > drinking on my off days. Tonight I am going to try to drink my bottle
of
> > water and then two beers. Usually I drink between 4 and 5 after a
match.
> > Then have one when I get home.
> >
> > At age 42, I stay away from wine. It seems to hurt my vision. In the
> > morning, following a bottle of wine at night, I have a hard time
focusing
> > between 7 and 8 a.m.
> >
> > Thanks for your story.
> > Steve
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> I know what you mean when you say that you could at one time, go a day
without a drink and now you
> find it hard not to. I experienced the same thing.
>
> When I began drinking, initially in the late 1970's, for many years, I was
able to drink moderate
> amounts when I drank. (By moderate, I mean, not more than two glasses of
wine in a session). Often,
> when down the pub or at home, I was happy with just a soft drink. At some
point, I crossed the line
> at which I could take or leave alcohol and began to drink considerably
more than was good for me
> every night. It was many years before I admitted that I couldn't leave it
alone. I only admitted it
> when I felt that my life was no longer worth living. To this day, I don't
know what made me seek
> help at that point. What I do know, however, is that I was ready to give
it up and because I really
> wanted to, I succeeded in doing so.. I was on the wagon for about eight
years. Then, as you know,
> one night, I decided I wanted to drink again. So I did and very soon I
was again hooked .. When I
> now think about how I used to convince myself that I could control my
intake, I realise what a fool
> I was. .
>
> If you think the time is now right for you to give up drinking and you
really want to do it, I see
> no reason why you shouldn't succeed in doing so. I will not offer advice
on whether or not it is
> better for you to follow the route whereby you slowly reduce your intake
or go (is it go ?) cold
> turkey. Only you can decide that. For me, going cold turkey was the
only way.
>
> If you have decided that it would be best for you to stop drinking, then
here you will find
> encouragement to do so and maybe even strength to get you through those
periods when your resolve
> not to drink is weak
>
> Whatever you decide to do, I wish you a long and happy life..
>
> JB.
>
>
>
>